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substance causing expansion of doughs and batters by the release of gases within such mixtures, producing baked products with porous structure. Such agents include air, steam, yeast, baking powder, and baking soda.

Instead of adding soda and leavening acids separately, most commercial bakeries and domestic bakers use baking powder, a mixture of soda and acids in appropriate amounts and with such added diluents as starch, simplifying measuring and improving stability. The end products of baking-powder reaction are carbon dioxide and some blandly flavoured harmless salts. All baking powders meeting basic...

...in the mixture. Total water, including the moisture in eggs and milk, should exceed the amount of sugar by 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 parts. Baking-powder weight should equal from 3 to 6 percent of flour weight; salt should equal 3 to 4 percent of flour weight. If the amount of sugar in a formula is increased, the egg content should be...

...and other citrus fruits. The monopotassium salt of tartaric acid, commonly called cream of tartar, is obtained from wine casks, where it crystallizes as a hard crust. In the past, it was used in baking powders as a leavening agent, but this application has largely (though not entirely) been superseded by cheaper substances such as monocalcium phosphate. Similar to succinic acid, malic and...